And william r



' G. M. BENNETT, C. LINDSTROM & W. R. MoKEEN, Jr.

MAIL BAG HOLDING AND GATGHING DEVICE.

No. 591,731. Patented O0t..12,1897.

(No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet' 1.

(No Model.)

4 sheet-s sheet 3.

G. M. BENNETT, 0. LINDSTROM & W. R.M0KEBN,J1-.. MAIL BAG HOLDING AND GATGHING DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 12,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES M. BENNETT, OF ZANESVILLE, OHIO, CHARLES LINDSTROM, OF ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WILLIAM R. MCKEEN, JR., OF TERRE I'IAUTE, INDIANA.

MAlL -BAG HOLDING AND CATCHING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,731, dated October 12, 1897. Application filed February 15, 1897. Serial No. 623,532. (No model.)

To IJ/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES M. BENNETT, residing at Zanesville, Ohio, CHARLES LIND- STROM, residing at Altoona, Pennsylvania, and WILLIAM R. MCKEEN, J r., residing at Terre Haute, Indiana, citizens of the United States, have invented certain Improvements in Mail-Bag Holding and Catching Devices, of which the following is a specification.

One object of our invention is to provide a simple attachment to the bag-catching device known as the I'Vard hook on a mail-car, whereby said device is also adapted for supporting a mail-bag in position to beremoved by a catcher on the track-crane.

Another object of our invention is to provide simple and efficient means on the car for engagement with the bottom of the suspended bag, whereby the. same is firmly retained in proper position for engagement with the catcher device on the track-crane.

Another object of our invention is to provide a strong and durable but economical form of track-crane for supporting the mailbag in position to be removed by the bagcatching device of a passing car, such trackcrane being also provided with means for engaging with and removing a bag from the suspending devices on said passing car.

Another object of our invention is to provide for suspending two bags instead of one from the suspending devices of either car or track-crane.

These objects we attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a side view of sufficient of an ordinary mail-car to illustrate our improvements in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the track-crane, showing the movable parts of the same in inoperative position. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of said track-crane, showing the movable parts of the same in operative position. Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the bag holding and catching devices of both car and track-crane in operation. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the Ward hook attachment detached from said hook. Fig. 6 is a perspective View showing, detached from the car, the device for engaging the lower portion of the mail-bag. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the upper bagholding arm of the track-crane. Fig. 8 is a front View of part of the track-crane, showing the lower bag-holding arm and the bagcatching hooks thereon. Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view on the line 90 50, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of the track-crane. Fig. 11 is a sectional view on the line w w, Fig. 10. Fig. 12 is a side view illustrating our method of simultaneously handling two bags instead of one. Fig. 13 is a detached view of a bag-coupling device employed in carrying out said method. Fig. let is a view illustrating an other method of simultaneously handling more than one bag, and Figs. 15 to .24; are views illustrating details of construction of the crane and the bag catching and supporting devices or modifications of various parts of the same.

Referring to Fig. 1, we have shown in dotted lines the usual mailba -catching device known as a Ward hook, with which nearly all mail-cars are at present provided, this device consisting of a long hook 1, secured to a head 2, which is in turn secured to abar3, extending across the doorway of the car and mounted so as to be free to swing in bearings 4 on the door-jambs, a spring 5,0f rubber or. other elastic material, being interposed between one of these bearings and the head 2 of the hook, so as to lessen the shock caused by the engagement of said hook with a mailbag when the car is traveling at a high rate of speed. The bar 3 can be moved longitudinally through the bearings 4, a pin'6 passing through an opening at one end of the bar,

so as to retain it-in proper position when in use, the bar and its hook on the removal of this pin being readily reversed, so that the hook may point in the direction in which the car is traveling.

In order to enable this device to hold abag for delivery to a catcher on the track-crane,we employ an arm 7, having at the innerend a handle 8, which takes the place of the handle usually applied to the head 2 of the Ward hook, the arm 7 having an opening 9 for the reception of the .bar 3 and being bent to form a loop 10, concentric with and lying snugly along the outer side of the bent portion or how of the hook 1, with which it isheld in engagement by means of a U-bolt 12, aback plate 11, and nuts 13, as shown in Figs. 16 and 16, so that when the arm 7 is swung upward or downward by means of its handle 8 corresponding movement will be imparted to the hook 1. By this means the attachment of the arm of the Ward hook is efiected without boring or drilling the latter for the reception of secu ring-bolts. Hence the attachment can be applied on the car and in a few minutes, the necessity of taking the device into the shop or even putting it out of service being obviated.

While we prefer, on the grounds of cheapness and convenience, to simplybend the arm 7 to conform to the bend or bow of the book 1, said arm 7 may, if desired, have a socket 7 a for the reception of'said bow, as shown in Fig. 17, or the arm 7 may be secured to the head 2 of the hook by means of a strap 7 bolted to said head, as shown in Fig. 18. The latter constructions are, however, objectionable'because of the trouble and expense of forming the socket-head for the reception of the hook 1. The arm 7 is at the outer end b'ent so as to form a hook 16, facing in a direction the reverse of the hook 1, and provided with aspring-catch 17, of any appropriate character, whereby it is adapted for the reception and retention of the ring or eye at the end of the mail-bag, so that when the hook 1 is raised and caused to project outwardly from the side of the car for the purpose of catching a bag suspended from a holder on the track-crane the hook 16 will likewise be projected into position for holdingthe upper end of a bag in position for engagement with a catching arm on said track-crane, as shown,,for instance, inFig. at.

In order to'provide for the proper retention of the lower portion of a bag suspended from thehook 1G, wemountin brackets 18, secured to the car side-0n opposite sides of the doorway, the opposite' ends of a rectangular bail or yoke 19,,said bail or yoke comprising opposite legs, which hang down on each side of the'doorway when the yoke is not in use,-and a connecting cross-bar which extends from one of the said legs to-the other just beneath 'the door sill, thisbottom cross-bar of the yoke having two hooks 20,, one facing to the right and the other to-the left and each provided with some suitable form of springcatch 21, so that said hooks are adapted for engagement with the ring or eye at the bottom of a bagsuspended from the hook 16 in either position of the latterthat is to say, whether it is pointing toward one end of the car or the other. The yoke 19, owing to its form, is rigidly braced-longitudinally. Hence it provides a very stifi support for the bottom of the bag and prevents the swaying of the latter rearwardly by wind-pressure, while at the same time it provides for weighting the bag soheavily asto keep it properly stretched at all-times and prevents swaying of the lower portionof the car side when it is connected to a bag is prevented, as such inward movement would necessarily be accompanied by a downward movement, which is'prevented by the bag itself. As a consequence of this the bag is firmly retained in position by the suspending devices of the car, any movement of the bag such as would carry itout of range of the catching device on the track-crane or would lead to perforation or other mutilation of the bag by said catching device being eflectually prevented. The catches of the yoke are close to the sill of the door when said yoke is down, so that the attendant does not have to reach out of the doorway in order to attach the bag thereto, liability to in j ury being thereby overcome. have been properly applied to the catchesof the yoke and arm 7, the raising of the hook '1 lifts the bag into proper position and swings the yoke upwardly and outwardly with it. {When the yoke 19 is turneddown against the @side of the car, it is retained in this position by spring-catches 22, secured to the car side and engaging the opposite legs of the yoke, ias shown in Fig. 1 and in the enlarged View, ;Fig. 19, or the yoke may be retained in position by a spring-catch located below the sill Eof the door and adapted to engage the bottom @bar of the yoke, if desired. The yoke 19 ;never obstructs any portion of the doorway, ;and hence does not interfere with the free handling of the mail-bags or the ready passthrough the doorway.

The track-crane we construct oftubes'and I fittings for the purpose of rendering the same light, neat, strong,-and durable.

The main frameiseomposed of the vertical and by a central transverse bar 26, which oc- 28 to cross-fittings 29, to which are also'connected the upper ends of curved rear brace- 31 and T-fittings 32, the lower ends" ofthe bars 23 and 30 being mounted upon elastic supportson suitable'stringers 33 at the side of the track, is shown in Fig. 20, on reference to which it will be observed that the bar 23 has: at the bottom a foot 34, which rests upon a coiled spring 34:, contained in a casing 34, which is secured to the stringer 33 by spikes or in 34 at the top of the easin g overlapping the foot 34 and limiting the rise of the same. A plate 343 is interposed between the spring 34 and the stringer to prevent wear. If desired, a spring 34 may also be interposed between shown in Fig. 20.

ing of the same either inward or outward bars 23, connected together by upper and lower transverse bars 24 and T-fittings 25 V cupies a position in advanceof the mainframe and is connected by elbows 27 and short bars One of these elastic supports the bag outwardly from the car side, while any movement of the yoke inwardly toward 7o p When the ringsor eyes of the-bags ICO bars 30, laterally braced by a transverse bar 1 any other suitable manner, an inturned flange the foot 34 and the retaining-flange 34, as

Any desired form of spring may-be used, the object of the construction being to-oppose an elastic cushion to such deflection of the crane as would be likely to result from the strain caused by engagement by the bagcatcher on the crane with a mail-bag traveling at high rate of speed and which might otherwise cause injury to the catcher or other parts of the crane.

The bars 23 are in one piece from top to bottom, and the T-fittings 25 and cross-fittings 29 are slipped onto the same and secured by means of pins 35, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, so that multiplicity of parts and the eX- pe nse of cutting threads on the various parts and fittings is obviated. The transverse bars are in like manner and for the same purpose secu red to the T-fittings and elbows.

The forwardly-projecting central bar 26 constitutes a step or platform upon which to stand while hanging the mail-bag upon the crane, and to facilitate access to said step foot-rests 36 are clamped upon the bars 23, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 15.

The upper ends of the bars 23 are bent toward each other and are screwed into Y- fittings 37, so as to form an arch, said Y-fittings being mounted upon a central tube 38, through which passes a bolt 39, having end caps 40 bearing upon the ends of said tube 38 and secured thereto by nuts 41 upon the bolt, as shown in Fig. 10.

Between the Y-fittings 37 and mounted so as to be free to swing upon the tube 38 is the hub of the upper bag-holding lever 42, one arm of this lever having a counterbalanceweight 43 and the other arm having pivoted upon it, by means of a pin 44, an arm 45, which projects beyond the lever and is hooked or otherwise formed at its outer end to receive an eye or ring at the upper end of the mail-bag. The lever 42 is tubular except as to the outer end of that part of it which car-v ries the arm 45, said outer end being flattened and bent so as to form a socket bounded by spring-fingers 46, as shown in Fig. 21, for the reception of the arm 45. \Vhen, therefore, said arm is projected and rests in the socket of the lever 42, it is retained in line with the lever against all side strains to which it is likely to be subjected when the bag is hanging upon itsuch strains, for instance, as may be due to wind-pressure upon the bagbut when the bag engages with the Ward hook or other catcher upon the car the side pressure upon the same causes the arm 45 to leave the socket of the lever 42 and swing sidewise thereon, so that the upper eye on the bag can be readily pulled from the same. When the arm 45 is projected, as shown in Fig. 7 and also in Figs. 3, 4, and 12, the-preponderance of weight is on the forward arm of the lever 42 even when the bag is not hung upon the arm 45. Hence the lever normally remains in the position shown in said Figs. 3, 4, and 12, so that the bag can be conveniently hung thereupon, but whenthe arm 45 is swung around laterally as the bag is pulled.

from the same the preponderance of weight is shifted to the rear arm of the lever 42. Hence said lever automatically swings to the vertical position shown in Fig. 2.

In order to prevent the forward arm of the lever 42 from being pulled downward to a point beyond its normal supporting position, the hub of said lever has projecting shoulders 37, as shown in Fig. 7, which shoulders, by contact with projecting lugs 48 on the Y- couplings 37, (see Figs. 10 and 11,) serve to prevent excessive movement of the lever.

The arm 49, which engages with the lower eye-on the mail-bag hung from the upper arm 45 is similar to said arm 45 and is hung in like manner to an arm 50, which is screwed or cast into a boss 51 upon a tubular casting 52, hung upon a rod 53, which passes through blocks 54, securedto and projecting from the upper transverse brace-bar 24 of the crane, suitable blocks 55, of rubber or other elastic abutments, such as coiled springs, being interposed between the ends of the tubular casting 52 and the blocks 54, so as to lessen the shocks which might otherwise be caused by lateral strains upon said casting.

The arm 50 is formed in the same manner as the-forward arm of the lever 42 to nor- The tubular casting 52 also has heads 56, to which are secured hooks 5'7, similar to the hook 1, one of these hooks projecting to the right and the other to the left, so that they will catch and remove a mailbag from the suspending devices of' a car moving in either direction past the crane.

One of these hooks is intended to receive a bag from the supporting devices on the car simultaneously with the removal of a bag from the arms 45 and 49 by the catcher on the car, as shown in Fig. 4, and as soon as the bag is caught by one of the hooks 57 its IIO weight causes the casting 52 to turn on the bolt 53, so as to swing the hooks downward out of the way and either discharge the bag from the hook or permit of the ready removal of said bag therefrom.

In applying our invention to double-track roads in which the cars always pass the crane in the same direction we may use in place of the double hook-and-arm structure (shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 8) a modification of the usual Ward hook, such hook having on the back an arm 58 with retainer for engaging the lower eye on the bag hung upon the upper arm 45, as shown in Fig. 15, or we may use upon the crane a structure similar to that used upon the car, as shown-in Figs. 22 and Y by two bags may be simultaneously suspended from the supporting devices of the car and crane or simultaneously removed from said supporting devices by the bag-catchers. In order to do this, the contents of each-bag are gathered atone end of the same, and the bags are then placed side by side in such manner that the empty and flattened end of one bag is brought against the full end of the other, as shown in Fig. 12, and the eyes at the ends of the bag connected by a split ring with overlapping ends. (See Fig. 13.)

The central portions of the bags are preferably connected by astrap or rope 61, as shown in Fig. 12, which rope or strap is preferably joined by means of a snap-hook 62, as shown in Fig. 24.

The ring at the upper ends of the bags is hungupon the upper supporting device of the car or crane, and the ring at the lower ends of the bags is adapted to the lower supporting devices of the same, the catchinghook engaging with the bags where they are joined in the middle, as shown in Fig. 12, in order to remove said bags from the holding devices.

Another method of carrying out this feature of our, invention is that shown in Fig. 14, in which the bags are folded so that the flat and empty end of the bag is laid against the full end of the same, the folded bags being connected together by the rope or strap 61.

The bars 23 of the crane are preferably provided with projecting hooks 67, on either of which may be hung a lantern for signaling purposes.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination of the hook and hangerbar of a mail-bag-catching device with an arm having a hook facing in the opposite direction from the catcher-hook and constructed for the support of a mail-bag, said arm being perforated for the passage of the hanger-bar, in combination with a U -bolt and nuts whereby the supplementary arm is confined to the bend or bow of the catcher-hook, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the hook and hangerbar of a mail-bag catcher, with an arm having a hook facing in the opposite direction from the catcher-hook and constructed for the support of a mail-bag, said arm being perforated for the passage of the hanger-bar and bent so as to lie snugly against the-outside of the bend or bow of the catcher-hook, a U-bolt engaging said bend or bow of the catcher-hook and having legs passing over the supplementary arm and through a backing plate, and nuts applied to said legs of the bolt outside of said plate, substantially as 3. Thewithin-described mail-bagholderfor mail-cars, said holder consisting of a yoke comprising opposite side legs and a connecting bottom bar, said side legs being pivoted at their upperends in hangers on the car side i on opposite sides of the doorway,'and the connecting bottom bar being provided with means for receiving and retaining the eye at the bottom of a mail-bag, substantially as specified.

4. The within-described mail-bag holder for mail-cars, said holder consisting of a yoke comprising opposite side legs and a connecting bottom bar, said side legs being pivoted at their upper ends in hangers secured to the car side on opposite sides of the doorway and said connecting bottom bar having hooks projecting in opposite directions therefrom and each adapted for the reception and retention of an eye at the bottom of a mail-bag, substantially as specified.

5. The combinationof a mail-bag. holder consisting of a yoke having opposite side legs pivoted at their upper ends in hangers on the car side on opposite sides of the doorway, and a connecting bottom bar provided with means for receiving and retaining an eye at the bottom of a mail-bag, and elastic retaining means for holding said yoke in position against the car side, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the mail-bag holder comprising opposite side legs pivoted at their upper ends in brackets on the car side on opposite sides of the doorway, and a lower connecting-bar provided with means for receiving and retaining an eye at the bottom of a mail-bag, and spring-clips mounted upon the car side at each side of the doorway and engaging said side legs of the yoke when the latter are drawn in against the car side, substantially as specified.

7. A mail-bag crane consisting of an upright frame composed of opposite tubular bars, placed parallel with the track, tubular transverse brace-bars, tubular rear braces extending outwardly and downwardly from the upright tubular bars of the crane, fittings whereby said tubular bars are joined together where they meet, and bag-supporting arms or levers hung between the upright bars of the crane, substantially as specified.

'8. A mail-bag crane consisting of upright tubular bars, a transverse brace occupying a position in front of said upright bars, short end connections and fittings whereby said bars are connected together, substantially as specified.

9. A mail-bag crane consisting of upright tubular bars connected together at their upper ends, and a bag-supporting lever hung so as to swing between said upper ends of th bars, substantially as specified.

10. A mail-bag crane consisting of upright tubular bars bent toward each other at their upper ends, Y-fittings to which said upper ends of the bars are connected and a bagsupporting lever swinging between said Y- fittings, substantially as specified.

11. The combination of the upright bars'of a mail-bag crane, fittings to which said bars are connected, a tube passing through said fittings, and a bag-supporting lever hung upon IZC said tube between said fittings, substantially as specified.

12. The combination of the upright bars of a mail-bag crane, fittings to which the upper ends of said bars are secured, a tube passing through said fittings, a bolt passing through said tube and having caps confined by nuts against the ends of said tube, and a bag-supporting lever hung to the tube between the fittings, substantially as specified.

13. The combination of the upright bars of a mail-bag crane, fittings to which the upper ends of said bars are connected, a bag-supporting lever hung between said fittings, and shoulders formed upon the hub of the lever and upon the fittings, and serving to limit the movement of the lever, substantially as specified.

1a. A mail-bag crane having a bag-supporting lever hung thereto so as to swing in a vertical plane, and a bag-holding arm pivoted to said lever so as to swing in a plane at right angles thereto, said bag-holding arm being such that when projected in line with the lever it will cause a preponderance of weight on that arm of the lever carrying the same, but when swung arou'nd toward the fulcrum of the lever will deprive said arm of its preponderance of weight, substantially as specified.

15. The combination of a mail-bag crane, with a structure comprising a bar having thereon a boss for the reception of a mail-bagholding arm and oppositely-inclined heads for the reception of mail-bag-catching hooks, and

. means for mounting said bar upon the frame of the crane so that it can swing vertically, substantially as specified.

16. The combination of a mail-bag crane, with a structure comprising a tubular bar having thereon a boss for the reception of a bag-holding arm, and an inclined head or heads for the reception of a bag-catching hook, blocks mounted upon the frame of the crane, and a bolt passing through said blocks and through said tubular bar and serving to pivot the latter to the crane, substantially as specified.

17. The combination of a mail-bag crane, with a swinging structure comprising a tub ular bar having thereon a boss for the reception of a bag-holding arm and one or more inclined heads for the reception of bag-catching hooks, blocks secured to the frame of the crane, a bolt passing through said blocks and through the tubular bar and elastic bufiers interposed between said blocks and the ends of said tubular bar, substantially as specified.

18. A mail-bag crane mounted upon elastic supports, substantially as specified.

19. A mail-bag crane having upright legs mounted upon elastic supports and having their upward movement restrained, whereby vertical or lateral shocks are cushioned, substantially as specified.

20. A mail-bag crane, having upright legs, with feet at the lower ends, springs upon which said feet are mounted, and inclosing casings for said springs having portions for arresting the rise of said feet, substantially as specified.

21. A mail-bag crane having upright legs with feet at their lower'ends, springs upon which said feet are mounted, inclosing casings having inturned flanges, and springs interposed between the feet a-nd said flanges, substantially as specified.

22. The mode herein described of mounting two mail-bags for simultaneous delivery to a mail-bag catcher, said mode consisting in collecting the contents of each bag in one end, and disposing the bags so that an empty and flat end is laid against a full end, whereby the eyes at the ends of the bags can be brought together, and applied to the same supporting device, substantially as specified.

23. The mode herein described of mounting two mail-bags for simultaneous delivery to a bag-catcher, said mode consisting in collecting the contents of each bag in one end of the same, disposing the bags so as to bring an empty and flattened end against a full end, confining the middle portions of the two bags together, and mounting a full and an empty end of a bag upon both the upper and lower holding devices, substantially as specified.

2%. The combination of the catcher-hook and hanger-bar of a mail-bag catcher, with a bag-suspending arm hung upon said hangerbar and having a hook facing oppositely from the catcher-hook, means for connecting said catcher-hook and suspending-arm, and a handle secured to the inner end of the suspend ing-arm whereby power is applied directly to said arm to lift the bag, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES M. BENNETT. CHARLES LIN DSTROM. WILLIAM R. MOKEEN, JR. Witnesses to signature of Charles M. Bennett:

W. P. TIMMONS,

Guns. '1. ATwELL.

Witnesses to signature of Charles Lindstrorn:

L. W. HEALY, C. E. WENsEL.

Witnesses to signature of William R. Mc- Keen, Jr.

DAVID N. TAYLOR, HORACE C. PUGH. 

